Visions and Visionaries

It is a Utopian dream to live without money and to do so alongside one another instead of in spite of each other. But how does one individual make that dream come true? Mark Boyle, set off on a money-less journey in 2008 relying on the kindness of strangers for food and living in a caravan that found through a recycled non-profit incorporation. He had set up in advance during 2007 the Freeconomy website justfortheloveofit.org, where favours rather than money changed hands. The website appeared to be successful a worldwide success attracting a fanfare of publicity. He wanted to scale this experience up to a cash-less village with a truly sustainable infrastructure. Today, his vision has undergone major developments. He has brought a group of people and himself together to co-create that project. They have bought a piece of land and can rely on the proceeds of his book- The Moneyless Man, to expand their project. At the same time, a couple of the members of his Freeceonomy team, decided to collaborate in the making of a money-less village. Today, after he proved more or less that a world without money is possible, Mark Boyle will re-enter the monetary economy. He left from Bristol hitchhiking until Greece last July, to explore the potential of these two projects. High in the hills of north Evoia, the second biggest island of Greece, in a couple of yurts on the edge of the tiny village of Agiokampos overlooking the sea, a group of young Athenians are busy rebuilding their lives. When they set off to the countryside in the spring of 2008, the world was in a very different shape than today. The first outline of their sustainable project didnt say that they would be exploring an experimental era as the global economy collapsed. That era became frighteningly real, as their journey bracketed the first winds

of the financial hurricane. The community of Telaithrion as it is called, marks the development of the eco-villages around Greece. It combines the traditional sustainable model with the latest innovations in environmental design, green technology and permaculture. Its construction is currently underway. The timing was particularly poignant since so many people are yearning lately for collective living. It's happening partly because of economics but most of all, because some are sick of modern consumerism and have started sharing resources or just wanting less. There was no rigid set plan for that trip, just some similar visionaries for the evolution of humanity. Mark Boyle went to find the group of people who had settled the Telaithrion community. The same people had been organizing the Freeconomy events in Athens, Greece, for the past couple of years. Another aspect of the Telaithrion companionship, which is linked to the international Freeconomy group is commitment to the motto Free and Real , a pluralistic union of people that strives for promoting research results for a better social structure. Mark hoped that through this site his vision could be shared with more people and in reality, he inspired these Greeks who want to live simply and respectfully like him. But why people leave their family and set up their own community in the first place? Most communities are constituted from people that have the common philosophy and the common goal and work pretty well and sometimes people that probably shouldnt live like the others as always struggle to make it work. It is usually people that leave the world we live in today and they are on their way to try things to be differently done, people who dont want to be complacent about that craziness , Mark suggests.1 And he adds: People who come to the point in life, where they would be definitely independent. You ve got also to say for some people that, the main thing is
1 Boyle 2011, interview Appendix K

shared values, obviously. And that would be quite critical to the success of the project. It was early July when Mark reached the verdant hills that overlook Evoia, in which Telaithrion is planned. In a scenic area located one hours drive from the municipality of Aidipsos, in Agiokampos, the eco-community is taking shape. Telaithrion crystal clear is a new rural-style development, a model for sustainable living, as its creators believe. Designed to be an antidote for the hectic urban lifestyle, Telaithrion unites sustainability and self-sufficient agriculture. The community has five permanent residents so far. In short, they wouldnt have made the leap without a vast amount of preparation over three years, visiting and living in similar communities around Europe, and discussing this idea with experts, enthusiasts and, Mark Boyle. And accompanied by him, all are now planning to share their lives with virtually no money but plenty of time, and space, in order to experiment and subsequently create an alternative form of everyday life. Mark worked with them for four weeks through the Greek summer looking for ways to cooperate but mainly helping them to design the land. But despite the shared desire to make the project work, communication began to break down and Mark decided this was not his dream. During the exploration process I figured out that, it wasnt the place for which I was going to kind of give the next big chapter of my life. tells Mark. Even for Freeconomists, collaborations never happen easily. He continues: They are also environmentalists, but slightly different than me. Environmentalism is quite a general term just to create a point to people who have some kind of green ideals sort of. But, they want to design a system where they wont need money anymore, so at that philosophy we are completely identical. . Minor different philosophy could be seen on a very personal level and this would make difficult the functioning between us. We had different ways of doing things, generally. , he tries to explain. I will be very happy to help them from far away as I can, because we

share the same objectives and ideals and I respect that the philosophy of our everyday life is very different in some ways. . Apostolos Sianos, one of the founding members of Telaithrion , says the differences were simply about locality versus globalism .2 He said: We would like to be part of a global village, not to get trapped in the mountains. Instead of that, Mark wants to create a local community . For about 12 days, when he visited the community, we were trying to find a middle way. Because, after all, we do agree with what we want to do but we have totally different ways of implementing it. So, he came with his own research results, based on the British land and we have our own research methods. And you might think that, these are small details but it would be just a matter of time to have become huge problems. Sometimes people just dont get on. Finally, he says: After all, this led to the creation of two different ecocommunities, which is better than one. Telaithrion takes its name from the natural surroundings and since the beginning of 2008, its primary purpose has been to manage the land organically on a communal basis. The core group of its founders gave up their houses, their cars and some good jobs before, finally, moving into the countryside. In keeping with true sustainable development, they interact like a good gardener, who is planting plants and developing techniques that, will allow them to grow and be renewed. But, they belong to a modern type of community, which relates to the wider society as well as has some dealings with the unsustainable market. They have understood that they need surpass the existed system and thus, they do worry about how this blurring of their principles will affect their future. While they started setting up Telaithrion , they also established a group, Free and Real ( Freedom of Resources for Everyone Everywhere - Respect Equality Awareness and Learning ), and thus, today they are a mix of a resource sharing society with a mentality of the Freeconomic Community. At the present time, both have been developed simultaneously. Apostolos, a bearded liberal
2 Sianos 2011, interview Appendix L

young man, says: Through Free and Real we run many workshops, seminars, screenings, short lectures, and so on. And at the same time, we were studying how to achieve a better life. Thus, we ended up establishing the future of ecocommunities . But whats their ethos? The group is committed to providing everyone with equal rights to five necessities of life: food, residence, energy, clothes and health. Pepy Kalyva, one of the three female members proclaims: This is the well-being, in other words, and would be attainable if we all had equal rights to those five. Therefore, our target is a more democratic society. In Greece, although we can assume that this is the political status quo, it has not worked properly since the ancient years. .3 Traditionally to find the right piece of land has been proved time, energy, and money consuming. Determined for their project to thrive, the community members bought a small extra piece of land and used it as a test site, in the broader area of Evoia. As a result, their beginnings were hatched on temporary allotments. In terms of its layout, still evolving, the most important feature of Telaithrion community is its circular design. Apostolos, explains this architecture further, First of all, because of the accessibility. This geometric elegance will be surrounded by vegetation and, naturally developed gardens. As the community matures and evolves, rings will gradually be added on rather than in a static structure. But, always at the very centre of the community will be the central housing structure, which tracks all the communitys systems -especially if we talk about an urban community, where the population would be up to 3.000.4 We would like to apply this, although on a smaller scale, just to prove that it is a successful model.

3 Kalyva 2011, interview Appendix M 4 Sianos 2011, intreview Appendix L

One part of the land is already naturally farmed and they have built greenhouses init. They have also rented a workshop, and own a number of olive, and walnut trees. They plan to use in the future one windmill, specifically a vertical-axiswind-turbine and a few solar panels, which will be applied to produce clean energy and food. Pepy adds : But, one can be only 100% self-sufficient in terms of energy, and food. And not always, 100% in food. .5 There is a enough land for fifteen people who wish to live with minimal impact upon these surroundings so they are still in search of more members. Emily Mourat a half Greek and a half British girl, keen on botany admits: We would see it as a blessing, if more people would come to join us. People who want to materialize a dream of living in that way .6 I f more people join, they not only plan to buy some more land, but also create at least one more community. Temporary residents are welcomes as volunteers through the Global eco-village network for a small price to cover the cost of food. In order to secure the daily bread and meet the communitys growing expenses, they produce a range of goods like an alternative to the chocolate spread Nutella without any sugar included, made of tahini, honey and nuts. They make herbal remedies, but also sell a variety of imported products such as the moon cup, an alternative to the tampon and, green tyres ( solid micro-cellular polyurethane tyres ) for bicycles. The communitys ultimate goal is to use electrical bicycles and cars, although at the moment they rely on two standard cars. Apostolos justifies this waste of energy, as necessary for building such a community. He says: Means of transport are extremely necessary as the closest village to the community is far away .7 The local Greeks liked them and welcomed them better than they could imagine given their different attitude. They received donations for their cause, in particular a small piece of land as well a little house to stay in. The past two or
5 Kalyva 2011, interview Appendix M 6 Mourat 2011, interview Appendix N 7 Sianos 2011, interview Appendix L

three weeks I sat down with a couple of people, mostly men, who have a lot of knowledge of how man should cultivate the land and therefore, I have learnt an incredible amount from them. , says Emily excitedly.8 And Apostolos smiling broadly, says: After all we are not provocative, we are always available to help anybody. .9 The five members of the community have advanced the Mediterranean sense of family, where fresh food flows and unexpected friendships are nurtured. However, living simply can be very complicated. Apostolos adds: We have made a decision, and accepted that we are here for a reason. But dont think that everything is going smoothly always. As we are a bunch of different people.. Nevertheless, Emily is the resident who believes that, Only with variation can you achieve something complete. Human relations are one of the most important parts of a community. If you observe the others you will end up observing yourself, which is huge. .10 We have particularly attended workshops related to communication without violence , we have been taught during seminar groups and so on. The human relations, even if you are in the most amazing place, if they can not work or they are not good enough, then things will collapse. concludes Emily, who has also read psychology in the past. Whatever desires or needs each of us have had, they are coming afterwards. And it is fine, it is a sacrifice that you learn to do, but it is the most rewarding sacrifice you made , she almost screams. But how do they plan to adjust the weeks activities, domestic, car-sharing and communal work? How will they achieve such a harmonious state of living? The focus is duly given to scientific methods.
8 Mourat 2011, interview Appendix N 9 Sianos 2011, interview Appendix L 10 Mourat 2011, interview Appendix N

 Generally, we dont believe in anybodys expertise. We do, however, believe, in science and in spirit. But, we wouldnt like to apply the second here. tells Apostolos.11 Under the set of things we have over here, a lot of these things are really emerged into nature. The forest we are in, is full of trees, wild fruits, herbs, animals, is a community itself. We are creating a community inside an already existing community. Emily interrupts his speech.12 Apostolos pointing at the mountains says: Over there we can meditate, for example. Therefore, we wouldnt tell to someone, not to believe in something, whatever it is that, but we wont provide him with the room to do so. We dont have any problems with anything, unless it affects our project. As we do not live excluded from the outside society, where there are some rules and laws and thus, we also have to follow them.13 Were they part of a potential internal migration, for thousands of Greeks, seeking solace in rural areas as the dept-stricken country struggles with the worst economic crisis since the Second World War? They tend to think not. It was a vision that brought us here , exclaims Pepy.14 They left the capital of Greece to find what their values are and quality of life, where there is no TV set blaring next door. And yet, they sound worried about their countrys default. However, being away for three years now, they have understood that before ones remakes society, he has to remake himself. We have foreseen the upcoming economic crisis, and for us, the answer to it ( or the only solution ) was that we should become self-sufficient. , says Pepy. Like with permacultures philosophy this development maximizes effects that occur in nature while minimizing wasted energy., she explains further. And this is an answer to the collapsed capitalist model. .
11 Sianos 2011, interview Appendix L 13 Sianos 2011, interview Appendix L 14 Kalyva 2011, interview Appendix M 12 Mourat 2011, interview Appendix N

Suddenly, as in a western movie when one punch triggers a brawl in the whole saloon off into a brawl, everybody is offering an opinion. Emily returned to Greece a year ago, and joined the community last September. The environment that raises you, and this vibration you share with your natural environment is such a special relationship. It is a special alliance, as you learn a lot from your natural environment since your birth, and therefore I wanted to deposit all my energy here , she claims. Emily firmly believes that, this project is a response to the wrong way people live nowadays. She remembers a graffiti quote: You cant fight the system, all you have to do is to create another system, make the previous system obsolete . And there she adds aggressively: We, the Greeks, should actually either act or shut up .15 Apostolos sounds rather skeptical and more down to earth. To be completely honest about it, it is very hard for people to leave their families, their jobs, their loans and come over here. Many people are not ready to create a society from zero. But we differ from them in the case that, we are more determined than dissatisfied with the current situation in Greece. , he says at last. Our goal is not to make an oasis, in which the five of us will live in forever. This is not our goal. Our goal is for this community to be expanded. If we created this eco-commune, and then, just start enjoying its daily life, all this energy and the resources would be a waste for the project itself. We dont want to create a utopia, but a reality. .16 Pepy nods her head. This community has been a constant upgrade in their life so far. By now Mark has returned to Bristol and he is currently working to the set up of a community there, with a bunch of people with whom he shares a similar mindset, and most significantly, cultural background. He says: It is a very similar type thing, a sustainable development. The plan is to live 100% localized in terms of meeting needs. For example if using a laptop,
15 Mourat 2011, interview Appendix N 16 Sianos 2011, interview Appendix L

and generally using some of the products of the industrialization, using it to communicate with the rest world, but not in term of meeting the needs of ones person. .17 Marks transition back to the monetary economy would be guided by the Progression of Principles model ( POP ), as for the rest of Telaithrion members too. There we would set time-based goals, in which to make our transition to complete our moneyless living. , says Mark, For instance the first to the forth year of this project we may use money, from the forth to the sixth year we may involve us being technically moneyless but not fully outside of the industrialized economy. The years after and onwards we should be able to be live 100% localised aka moneyless. But why live a pre-modern lifestyle in a post-modern world? Have people lately set off on a long, hard journey in search of a utopia? I dont believe that because we live so incredibly stupidly now, we should see these ways of living as utopian. The word utopia has been actually destroyed. As utopia didnt mean to be this ideal saviour just an example of a saviour, like a philosophical one it became to be used as this perfect ideal place, but there is not perfect ideal place. Its only in terms of better ways of living and other than the one we are used to living in, a more sustainable way to some extent. , says Mark. For him, capitalism is equivalent to anti-life. And he adds, The point we have come to is that, in the future we are going to use the products of the industrialization to help end the industrialization. The perfect conclusion to Mark Boyles journey is the understanding that utopia embraces the right to choose your own utopia. Anyone on that quest will probably have to overcome many difficulties and obstacles on the way. But, having dug the ground and nurtured it, can be exciting times, seeing what is have produced and in the end, for many that is the reward. Community comes in the
17 Boyle 2011, interview Appendix K

wake of a purpose and, traditionally, that purpose is the love of one's country and ones cause as for Mark Boyle. After all, there is one community for every individual waiting out there. As Apostolos says When we visited all these communities, we discovered that there is an eco-community applying to the needs of every individual. And if not, you can make it yourself. .18

18 Sianos 2011, interview Appendix L